CBI President Paul Drechsler has visited Belfast to welcome Trevor Lockhart, Chief Executive of Fane Valley Cooperative, as the new Chair of CBI Northern Ireland.

CBI President Paul Drechsler has visited Belfast to welcome Trevor Lockhart, Chief Executive of Fane Valley Cooperative, as the new Chair of CBI Northern Ireland.

Trevor assumed his official duties as CBI NI Chair at a dinner event held at the Culloden Hotel on Tuesday evening and sponsored by Eversheds Sutherland.

CBI Northern Ireland is delighted to have Trevor on-board. A much-respected figure in Northern Ireland’s hugely successful agri-food business, Trevor is extremely well positioned to help the organisation navigate the challenges faced by the region’s economy.

Trevor replaces David Gavaghan, the founder of Aurora Prime Real Estate Limited, who has served as Chair since January 1st 2016 and will assume the role of Vice Chair with immediate effect.

Trevor has served as CBI NI Vice Chair since February 2017 and has been elected to the CBI NI Council on a number of occasions.

“We’re delighted to welcome Trevor as the new Chair of CBI Northern Ireland. Trevor is a real leader both within the agri-food sector and across the NI business community. He has extensive experience of working with partners across the UK, Europe and the island of Ireland and I know that this expertise will be a huge asset to the organisation as we progress with crucial Brexit negotiations.

“I would also like to pay tribute to our outgoing Chair David Gavaghan who has made such an outstanding contribution to the CBI, both in his role as Northern Ireland Chair and as part of the wider CBI board. David is a passionate advocate for Northern Ireland and we’re delighted that he has agreed to stay on as CBI NI Vice Chair to support Trevor, Angela and the rest of the team over the coming year.”

Trevor Lockhart, CBI NI Chair, said:

“With Brexit negotiations now well underway and reaching the crucial trade discussion phase, there has never been a more important time for businesses in Northern Ireland to be heard. Decisions made now will have an enormous bearing, not only on our future prosperity, but also on our place in the global economy.

“As Chair of CBI Northern Ireland, I don’t just want to focus on Brexit – we also need to address some of the fundamental challenges facing the Northern Irish economy. Access to skills, support for higher and further education, energy and waste policy, innovation and driving productivity – these are all essential to laying the foundations for a prosperous Northern Ireland.

“We can’t achieve this alone, we need to work with partners and we require real political leadership to drive change. Bold decisions must be made and that’s why it’s imperative that we see an Executive, one with a shared vision for our local economy, restored as quickly as possible.”